Wednesday, March 24, 2010

There is nothing like receiving “fun” mail! Invitations, thank you notes, cards, etc! Growing up, our family cherished when “fun” mail came! I specifically remember my mom calling me in college, or when I was abroad . . . “Elizabeth!!! You have an invitation!!! May I open it?” Then she would describe in detail how it was addressed, exactly what it looked like, who was giving the party (and if it was a wedding), each individual part of the invitation, reply card, etc. Whether in Waco or Australia, we would shorten the distance by ooing and ahhing over each detail! Needless to say, we love anything to do with stationary!
And then I got engaged . . . my mother and I have found a confidant and friend in Marjorie Maxfield, owner of Tanglewood Gifts and Stationary. She has spent hours and hours with us. . . designing the Save the Date, deliberating over the font on the wedding invitation, and guiding me as I picked out stationary! This has probably been one of the most enjoyable experiences of wedding planning! (Especially when I get to pick what I want and leave all the details to my mother, who happens to be a perfectionist and Mrs. Maxfield who rivals her in the “perfectionist category!”) The day I received my stationary I couldn't get home fast enough to write thank you notes (I don’t know how long that passion will last but at least I LOVE what I am writing on!)
For Christmas, my mom gave me Mrs. Maxfield’s book, “The Write Stuff!” (the night before we left for Colorado) . . . well I devoured it on the plane and my mom realized her mistake by the time we landed. . . She had created a monster! I was gushing about my stationary wardrobe and how I wanted to be the traditional Crane bride! Dad immediately looked at Nate with pity and a twinkle in his eye, probably jumping for joy that he was off the hook and that Nate had to listen to why I NEEDED so much new stationary!
Just a couple examples of what a great writer Mrs. Maxfield is. . . she signed my book “To Elizabeth Ann, Live, write and wed beautifully!” What an incredible start to such a fun book. . . I love books about manners (details on this subject is for another day) . . . but Mrs. Maxfield has “stationary manners” throughout her book! With the age of email, personal notes are few and far between! "This is the exquisite experience of receiving a personal note. Few things in life can bring forth those feelings of being so special. What one envelope can do to resurrect your day, once enslaved to the computer, tied to a stove, or in your car during evening drive-time with no possibility of a quick exit to home, home to a personal note?"
After ordering my thank you notes, I kind of went crazy and ordered a couple more boxes of stationary. . . even one with a navy envelope liner with little gold fleur de lis for notes to my Kappa sista’s!!! Poor Nate. . . but he encourages it. . . he wants me to quit teaching and become a wedding or party planner! I think he is just being sweet!